Demos

The Cedar Falls - Abandon EP

Alexandra Richards 17/07/2008

Rating: 4/5

One listen to The Cedar Falls' second EP is enough to make any
listener wonder why the three-piece haven't yet attracted more major label interest. Opening track 'Abandon' hooks you in with a gritty guitar melody, energetic beats and soulful, atmospheric vocals. It's heavy enough to please alternative rock listeners whilst not too heavy to be radio-friendly. Comparisons to Incubus will be immediately obvious; singer Jay's is tough yet silky smooth, he holds out for some harmonic wailing without any growl. Anthemic third track 'Unity' stands out with hit-single potential and showcases the trio's ability to create a captivating and floor-shaking, guitar-driven sound. It's catchy and conjures up images of mass crowd sing-a-longs. Although The Cedar falls cite bands such as Deftones, Sound Garden and Alice in Chains as influences, their music doesn't actually bring to mind a 90s grunge band. The hard rock influence is there, but this EP is a lot more clean-cut. It's this slickness that could make the band a success; they lack the kookiness and uncouth noise of a lot of new rock bands and will appeal to fans of a variety of rock genres. That isn't to say that this release is without intensity, these tracks are loud and striking but some listeners may lament the lack of bile in Jay's voice. The EP lacks a dull moment or filler, with mournful ending track 'A Place to Stand' showing a quieter, more acoustic side to the band, showing they can move outside the energetic alt-rock of their other tracks. The Abandon EP exhibits talent that's remained hidden for too long. Hopefully the band can explore their potential and show a bit more personality on a full-length album. A sign of great things to come.